Straighten Up and Fly Right

When I was a kid living in my parent’s home, my father would frequently tell me that I needed to, “Straighten up and fly right!” No doubt I secretly rolled my eyes, and maybe you are doing that right now. But, here’s the truth as I see it, I need to straighten up and fly right, right about now.

A friend recently posted a quote on FB about letting the enemy steal your confidence. Another told me, “I am saddened by your lack of joy. It’s as if all your beautiful color has been sucked out of you and I’m FURIOUS…Your vibrant feisty, strong, quirky self has been minimized.” For this reason, I need to straighten up and fly right!

Hebrews 10: 35-36 says, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (ESV). I certainly need this confidence to move forward in the direction I have prayed and asked God for. There’s no way to have a booming ministry if I am without my vibrancy, feistiness, and strength. There’s no way to impact people if I have allowed who I am in Christ to be minimized.

Here’s the problem for me, I haven’t been following Philippians 4:8. Which says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (ESV). I’ve been thinking about the wherefores and how-tos. Trying to “figure out” how bills will be paid and plans made.

As I drove into work this morning, I was thinking about reading the Bible through again. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone cover to cover. But, part of me wanted to skip the first 5 books. This is mostly because I was contemplating reading the Bible through using a parallel Bible, and that would be reading 4 versions at the same time. And, I thought, reading the “who begot who” four times would get quite tedious. However, that’s when God’s affinity for details and love of minutia hit me. He is a prodigious artist with an incomparable attention to detail. Look at a sunset, and then examine a sunflower.

There’s nothing in my life too small, or too tedious for Him to want to be a part of. And, then I recalled the piece I wrote entitled, It’s all Small. No matter how lame the goings on of my day are, there is nothing that occurs that is insignificant to God. There’s nothing going on that He doesn’t want to be a part of. Yet, as well as I know that, I realize another friend has been right all along. I am great at providing useful advice but terrible at applying it to my own life.

Here I am typing this and chatting via text and I am asked if I have prayed about clearing out the things in my shop. Of course I haven’t. I have relied on my own ability to accomplish some things. But the truth is, I can do nothing apart from Him and He wants to help me in all facets of my life. Yet another reminder to straighten up and fly right. To think about the good, pure, holy, righteous things, and bring it all to the foot of the King.

Father, I am a terrible student. I fail to learn the lessons I teach. Forgive me for choosing to do things on my own. For thinking somehow that I am capable of moving forward. Help me to lean on You and not my own understanding. Help me to seek Your guidance and direction in all things, even those I think are minuscule. Let me feel Your presence as I seek to do Your will. Thank You, Abba, for loving me in spite of me. I praise You in Jesus’ Name, for being good and loving me forever. Amen.